Flatwork ironer feed bin

ABSTRACT

A bin mounted on caster wheels having a false bottom supported on a plurality of leaf springs which contract to lower the false bottom when a full load is placed on it and which expand progressively as pieces of flatwork are removed to raise the false bottom and to keep the top of the load within easy reach of the operator. The leaf springs are applied at balanced locations so that vertical guide means slide substantially freely whether or not a load of flatwork is distributed uniformly over the false bottom.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Donald G. Cowlln 5S5 Riverdale Drive, Glendale, Calif. 91204 [21 Appl. No. 859,462

[22] Filed Sept. 19, 1969 [45] Patented June 8, 1971 [54] FLATWORK [RONER FEED BIN 5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 280/792, 312/71, 220/93 [5 1] Int. Cl B62b 5/00 [50] Field of Search 280/792,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,161,694 11/1915 Brade 220/93 2,251,876 8/1941 Gibbs 220/93X 3,494,503 2/1970 Kingsley 220/93 Primary Examiner-Benjamin Hersh Assistant Examiner-Winston 1-1. Douglas AlrorneyBeehler & Arant ABSTRACT: A bin mounted on caster wheels having a false bottom supported on a plurality of leaf springs which contract to lower the false bottom when a full load is placed on it and which expand progressively as pieces of flatwork are removed to raise the false bottom and to keep the top of the load within easy reach of the operator. The leaf springs are applied at balanced locations so that vertical guide means slide substantially freely whether or not a load of flatwork is distributed uniformly over the false bottom.

PATENTEU JUN 8 I971 SHEET 1 0F 2 M N M! D A 91.0 G. Con 4w FLATWORK IBONER FEED lBlN The flatwork bin here disclosed is a mobile-type bin used in commercial laundries in which flatwork consisting of such things as sheets, towels, tablecloths, napkins, etc. are dumped from the shakeout tumbler and carried to continuous automatic ironing machinery from which the flatwork pieces are lifted one by one by attendants and passed to the ironing machinery. To expedite the handling of such things and to minimize fatigue of the operators, it is desirable to have the flatwork pieces presented to them at about waist height so that they can be lifted from the bin with a minimum of physical effort and without need for bending over and reaching into the bin as the bin becomes emptied.

Sundry attempts have been made to improve such flatwork bins in the past one of which has involved a canvas loop attached at one side and adapted to be rolled up at the other side by a hand crank so that the canvas loop is progressively lifted as the bin gets emptied.

in another type of prior art flatwork bin, a false bottom has been provided the level of which is adapted to be maintained by coil springs located at the corner and attached to the false bottom by a rope extending over a pulley.

Both of the prior art devices herein described have their singular shortcomings. The canvas loop is not automatic and must be periodically cranked by hand. The device with the false bottom has been built in such fashion that there is considerable open space at the ends and around the sides of the false bottom through which individual flatwork pieces are prone to fall and the coil spring and pulley arrangement is not such as to make the false bottom self-leveling when the loading on it is unbalanced.

it is therefore among the objects of the invention to provide a new and improved flatwork bin of such character that it can be virtually filled to the capacity of the chamber formed by the sides and ends and which is of such character that a false bottom is lifted steadily and progressively as the bin is emptied so that topmost articles in the bin will always be at substantially waist height.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved flatwork bin of the type customarily used on commercial laundries which has an automatically lowering false bottom, which lowers to the bottom of the chamber which is being loaded, and which elevates automatically and progressively as it is being unloaded, and which is substantially selfleveling in the event of either uneven loading or uneven unloading.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved flatwork bin for commercial type laundries wherein the false bottom for supporting the flatwork pieces extends substantially from wall to wall so that there is a minimum of opportunity for individual pieces of flatwork to fall off the edge of the false bottom and become jammed between the moving false bottom and the stationary walls.

Still further among the objects of the invention is to provide a new and improved flatwork bin which is very simply constructed, automatic in its operation, substantially self-leveling to the extent that the false bottom will always work irrespective of how unbalanced the load may be upon it, and which is substantially free of jamming.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

in the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the device with the false bottom partially broken away to show the spring construction.

HO. 2 is a side elevational view partially broken away to show the false bottom and spring construction.

F IG. 3 is a bottom view.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view.

P16. 5 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of a corner construction.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 2.

HO. 7 is a side perspective view of the bin shown in empty condition.

in an embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration there is shown a bin indicated generally by the reference character 10 consisting of relatively long parallel sidewalls ll and 12, relatively short parallel end walls 13 and 14, and an open bottom 15. Structural angle sections 16 brace and reinforce the vertical corners. Angle sections 17 and 18 stiffen top edges of the sidewalls. Similar angle sections 21 and 22 connect the sidewalls with angle sections 23 and 24 which serve to support the end walls, the angle sections 21, 22, 23, and 2d defining the perimeter of the bottom. For convenience in moving the bin about from place to place there is a single swivel caster wheel 25 at each end and a pair of swivel caster wheels 25 on opposite sides of a longitudinal midline.

Located intermediate upper and lower edges of the walls is a false bottom indicated generally by the reference character 30. The false bottom is only slightly narrower than the breadth of the bin such that side edges 31 clear the interior faces of the sidewalls by no more than a modest clearance insufficient to allow pieces of flatwork to. fall through the space. End edges 32 have only a slightly greater clearance, no more than sufficient to allow room for a central vertically mounted rod 33 at each end which serves as a guide. On the false bottom 30 adjacent each end edge 32 is a bracket 34 extending outwardly beyond the respective end edge and through which is a vertically extending bore 35 which has a free sliding fit over the respective rod 33.

For supporting the false bottom 30 and for moving it up once it has been loaded, there are provided a set of two leaf spring assemblies 40 at each end. Each leaf spring assembly 40 is substantially the same and consists of an upper section 41 and a lower section 42, each section consisting of a multiple number of individual leaves. The upper and lower sections 41 and 42 are connected together at captive ends 43, the captive ends extending to locations adjacent the respective end wall. At its relatively free end 44 the upper section 41 is attached to a brace 45 by appropriate screws 46, the brace being secured to the underside of the false bottom 30. It is important to note that the pointof attachment of the free end 44 is intermediate the transverse center line and the respective end edge, namely at about midway therebetween on some occasions or slightly nearer the transverse center line than midway. The free end 47 of the lower section 42 is attached by screws 50 to a brace 48 extending across the open bottom 15 at a location in substantially vertical alignment with the attachment of the free end 44 previously described. Inasmuch as all four leaf spring assemblies are substantially identical, a description of one will suffice for all. It need merely be noted that the spring assemblies 40 at the end opposite from those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 have respective free ends attached to the false bottom and open bottom at locations intermediate the transverse center line and the respective end of the false bottom.

By reason of employment of four leaf spring assemblies 40 the false bottom is supported at two points adjacent each longitudinal edge. The support is at a substantially great distance inwardly from the end edge in each case, but because the upper section of the leaf spring assembly in each instance is anchored to the false bottom, it holds the false bottom from being tilted upwardly an unnecessarily great amount should the opposite end of the false bottom be excessively loaded, as well as resisting downward thrust of the false bottom when excessively loaded at the end where the spring is located. inasmuch as the free end of the lower section 42 is similarly anchored, the entire false bottom structure is well and evenly supported against excessive movement either upwardly or downwardly as well as being prevented from shifting too far endwardly despite unbalanced loading or unloading. This results in a constant substantially free sliding fit of the bracket 34 along the rod 33 and reduces jamming when the load is unbalanced.

Even though one end of the false bottom may be depressed a great deal lower on occasions because of excessive loading at that one end, permitting opposite end of the false bottom to tilt upwardly, not only will the false bottom be substantially free of jamming but the heavily loaded end will automatically raise as flatwork pieces are lifted from the heavily loaded end one by one until the false bottom automatically levels out when empty, or when evenly loaded.

Functioning of the false bottom works substantially the same way in reverse when the bin is being loaded and, although it will tilt more at one end than the other when loaded more heavily at one end, the false bottom will level itself out as the load balances out permitting the false bottom to move downwardly under a full load without likelihood of jamming at the guided ends.

By having the topmost position of the false bottom be at about waist height of the operator where the operator can manually reach into the bin and most easily withdraw flatwork pieces, without stooping, use of the bin can continue by the operator experiencing only a minimum of exertion and fatigue.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new in support of Letters Patent is:

1. A vehicle for commercial laundry flatwork comprising a bin having pairs of substantially parallel vertical sidewalls and end walls forming a chamber, a false bottom in the chamber having a length slightly smaller than the length of the sidewalls and a breadth slightly smaller than the length of the end walls, vertically sliding guides acting between the false bottom and the bin and yieldable supporting means acting between a lower portion of the bin and the false bottom, said yieldable supporting means comprising two leaf springs each having an upper section and a lower section, captive ends of said sections being connected to each other, and located one adjacent each end of the chamber a free end of said upper section being connected to the underside of the false bottom intermediate opposite ends and at a location removed from the respective end, a free end of said lower section being connected to the lower portion of the bin intermediate opposite ends at a location removed from the respective end whereby each spring contracts and lowers said false bottom when a full load of flatwork is loaded thereon and said false bottom progressively elevates as said flatwork is removed piece by piece.

2. A vehicle for commercial laundry flatwork as in claim 1 wherein there are two pairs of leaf springs connected to respectively opposite long sides of the false bottom adjacent said long sides and said lower portion and with captive ends adjacent respective ends of the chamber.

3. A vehicle for commercial laundry flatwork as in claim 1 wherein there are two pairs of leaf springs adjacent each end of the chamber connected to respectively opposite long sides of the false bottom and said lower portion, free ends of said top sections where they are connected to the false bottom being located intermediate respective end edges of the false bottom and the transverse center line and with opened portions of said leaf springs facing toward the transverse center line of said bin.

4. A vehicle for commercial laundry flatwork as in claim 11 wherein said vertical sliding guide comprises a vertical rod adjacent each end wall and a ring on the adjacent end of the false bottom having a sliding engagement with the respective rod.

5. A vehicle for commercial laundry flatwork as in claim 1 wherein there are single swivel wheels adjacent the respective ends of an open bottom and a pair of swivel wheels at the transverse center line of the open bottom. 

1. A vehicle for commercial laundry flatwork comprising a bin having pairs of substantially parallel vertical sidewalls and end walls forming a chamber, a false bottom in the chamber having a length slightly smaller than the length of the sidewalls and a breadth slightly smaller than the length of the end walls, vertically sliding guides acting between the false bottom and the bin and yieldable supporting means acting between a lower portion of the bin and the false bottom, said yieldable supporting means comprising two leaf springs each having an upper section and a lower section, captive ends of said sections being connected to each other, and located one adjacent each end of the chamber a free end of said upper section being connected to the underside of the false bottom intermediate opposite ends and at a location removed from the respective end, a free end of said lower section being connected to the lower portion of the bin intermediate opposite ends at a location removed from the respective end whereby each spring contracts and lowers said false bottom when a full load of flatwork is loaded thereon and said false bottom progressively elevates as said flatwork is removed piece by piece.
 2. A vehicle for commercial laundry flatwork as in claim 1 wherein there are two pairs of leaf springs connected to respectively opposite long sides of the false bottom adjacent said long sides and said lower portion and with captive ends adjacent respective ends of the chamber.
 3. A vehicle for Commercial laundry flatwork as in claim 1 wherein there are two pairs of leaf springs adjacent each end of the chamber connected to respectively opposite long sides of the false bottom and said lower portion, free ends of said top sections where they are connected to the false bottom being located intermediate respective end edges of the false bottom and the transverse center line and with opened portions of said leaf springs facing toward the transverse center line of said bin.
 4. A vehicle for commercial laundry flatwork as in claim 1 wherein said vertical sliding guide comprises a vertical rod adjacent each end wall and a ring on the adjacent end of the false bottom having a sliding engagement with the respective rod.
 5. A vehicle for commercial laundry flatwork as in claim 1 wherein there are single swivel wheels adjacent the respective ends of an open bottom and a pair of swivel wheels at the transverse center line of the open bottom. 